FBI arrests four California men in alleged terror plot

Nov. 20, 2012
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Law enforcement and FBI agents during a raid at the home of 21-year-old Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales of Upland, Calif. Santana was one of four Southern California men charged with plotting to kill Americans and destroy U.S. targets overseas by joining al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. / Jenny Collins, AP

by Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

by Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

Four California men have been charged in an alleged plan to join al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan to wage war against Americans overseas, according to federal court documents.

The suspects -- Sohiel Omar Kabir, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan; Ralph Deleon, a permanent U.S. resident from the Philippines; Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, a permanent U.S. resident from Mexico; and Arifeen David Gojali of Riverside, Calif. -- were all charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists in court documents unsealed late Monday night.

According to the court documents, Kabir, 34, allegedly began his recruitment of Deleon, 23, and Vidriales, 21, in 2010 by introducing them to the radical teachings of now-deceased al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki.

Kabir later left the U.S. for Afghanistan to allegedly pave the way for the travel and training of Deleon and Vidriales. Shortly after Kabir's departure, Deleon and Vidriales allegedly confided their plan to an FBI informant.

By September 2012, Deleon and Vidriales allegedly had recruited a fourth member of the group, Gojali, 21 and they began preparing for their departure.

Included in their preparations, according to court documents, were preliminary training sessions at "southern California firearms and paintball facilities.''

Deleon, Vidriales and Gojali were arrested without incident Friday. Kabir has been arrested in Afghanistan.